Outdoor Learning

Education on our farms or at your school

Mayfields Farm

At Mayfields and the Countryside Restoration Trust, we are passionate about educating our young people about the links between food, farming and wildlife and aim to foster a lasting love of our wonderful countryside. Mayfields provides a fantastic resource for outdoor learning and hands-on exploration of farm life, wildlife and natural habitats, whilst neatly linking in with many areas of the National Curriculum!

We welcome visits from school groups, youth groups or other clubs, and can tailor activities to suit your requirements or link with topics. Educational visits are usually free of charge.

Facilities

An attractive, purpose built classroom, which can accommodate a group of 30 for introductions, lunch times and indoor activities if necessary (although we usually aim to be outside for most of the time if possible!)An enclosed garden for picnic lunches and activities. We are currently developing this area as an educational space for learning about planting, growing and wildlife gardening.Two unisex toilets, one with disabled access; both with basin and warm water.Additional handwashing is provided via a long outdoor sink with several taps.Car parking area for approximately 6 vehicles, or for a coach to pull into.

Our natural resources

Different rare and traditional breeds of sheepWorking sheep dogsA red squirrel enclosure (We are part of the East Anglian Red Squirrel breeding programme)Two ponds with dipping platformsWorking beehivesA new boardwalk through a wooded area with a log circle seating areaA variety of habitats to study – ponds, wet woodland, grassland, meadow, hedgerowsA fantastic new raised bird hide overlooking different habitats

When to come

Visits are welcome at any time, but between March and October is probably best.
Visits can be a whole or half day, and we can be flexible with timings.
Evening visits in Summer, or occasional Saturdays are possible for non-school groups

What we can offer

Activities can encompass many curriculum areas, especially Science topics in KS1 and KS22 and Early Learning Goal ‘ Understanding the World’ . There are also opportunities to make links with maths, literacy, arts and crafts, geography, SMSC etc.

Mayfields would also be suitable for environmental /conservation studies in secondary education and beyond, or for interested adult groups, and we would be happy to discuss possibilities for a visit.

Contact

To enquire about booking a visit to Mayfields Farm and for further information, please email the education officer, Teresa Linford.

Pierrepont Farm

At Pierrepont and the Countryside Restoration Trust, we are passionate about educating our young people about the links between food, farming and wildlife and aim to foster a lasting love of our wonderful countryside. Pierrepont Farm is a working dairy farm, with a prize-winning herd of pedigree Jersey cows. Some beef cattle are also bred. The animals spend most of the year in the fields, grazing on grass. Silage is grown on the farm and may take the form of, for example, maize or alfalfa (lucerne). The south branch of the River Wey runs through the farm and there is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the farm’s Wey Meadow. There is an area of woodland (Tankersford Wood) behind and to one side of the dairy block that is suitable for explorative and practical activities such as den-building, mini-beast hunting, natural art, wildlife tracking and “Earthwalk” sensory activities, to name a few.

We welcome visits from school groups, youth groups or other clubs, and can tailor activities to suit your requirements or link with topics. Educational visits are usually free of charge.

Our popular Saturday Club for young naturalists and explorers is currently on hold whilst we recruit a new Education Officer. It will start again in January 2019 and is a free event with one session in the morning (10 am – 12 pm) and another from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. The Club is tailored for children aged between 7-11 years old but an enthusiastic 6 year old would not be turned away! Please email ddewe@countrysiderestorationtrust.com to book or for more information.

Facilities

Purpose built classroom within the dairy (opened in 2011), capable of accommodating 35 children seated at tables. A larger number may be accommodated without tables.The classroom is equipped with a sink, three electrical sockets for plugging in computers etc. and a first aid kit. There are many interactive displays for children (and adults!) to test their knowledge of food production and the environment.The dairy block contains one unisex toilet with wash hand basin and hot water, plus one unisex disabled toilet, again with a wash hand basin and hot water.The dairy has two robotic milking machines, that allow cows to milk themselves 24 hours a day year round, without the need for a human to be present. Because the space in the milking parlour is limited, visitors are usually admitted in groups of 10-15, so that everyone has a clear view of the milking process.Car parking area for approximately 8 vehicles, or for a coach to pull into.

Subjects we cover

NutritionFood production and land useClimate and seasonal changesLife cycles of animals and plantsLiving things and their habitatsIdentification and classificationhabitats and adaptationsInter- and intra-specific relationships (food chains etc.)Rocks and soils

Access

The classroom and toilets are on one level, with stepless access from the concrete hardstand surrounding the dairy. The corridors and classroom doors permit wheelchair access. Between the classroom/toilet area and the milking parlour there are two doors with two single steps between them. It is possible to bridge the space between them for pedestrian access. The first door is 75cm (29.5 inches) wide and the door of the parlour is 85cm (33.5 inches) wide. It is possible to circumvent the first door by bringing wheelchairs through a wide metal gate at the front of the dairy building and gaining access to the pedestrian bridge by means of a ramp. Even if a wheelchair cannot pass through the 85cm-wide door to the milking parlour, it is possible to see into the parlour and hear what is being said. The dairy connects via a metalled road (though with a slope that can be steep for helpers for non-powered wheelchairs) with the former farmyard and buildings — though there are two cattle grids to be negotiated (doable but bumpy).

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